Meet the Team

“If ever there were proof that it pays to be looked after by a full team both at home and abroad, rather than the DIY of the internet then this was clearly it”

The Anglia team consists of dedicated Tour Coordinators and administrative staff who, with more than a hundred years of experience in travel between them, are there to support you throughout your tour from inception to conclusion. Our team of expert and highly experienced guides, each selected not only for the depth of their historical knowledge but more importantly for their ability to engage and inspire your students are there to ensure they gain the maximum educational benefit from the tour and to deal with any problems that may arise – no matter how serious.

So whether you book a day school battlefield trip to Ypres, a 3 day residential history tour in Berlin or 6 days in the USA……

Bethany Moore

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Bethany has had a keen interest in military history since first being introduced to the topic as a teenager. Initially interested in WW2, she developed a passion for the study of WW1 after going on several battlefield tours whilst attending secondary school.

Although not from a military background, Bethany’s knowledge has been developed through her academic background allied to a personal appetite for self-directed study. She read History and War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton and has recently embarked on her Master’s Degree on the History of Britain in the First World War.

Bethany’s aim is to inspire the next generation, particularly young women, to have a passion for all aspects of history, as she was inspired by her teachers and those around her.

Kathryn Evans

Fields of Expertise:

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Kathryn is originally from Bournemouth, Dorset, but has been based in Berlin on and off for five years. Kathryn originally studied Theology, and then History of Art at undergraduate level and then moved into youth work, teaching English and advising University students. She has been a tour guide in Berlin for a few years and has found it combines a two of her passions: talking about the rich, compelling history of Berlin, and education. Kathryn focussed on the role of history education in her Master’s thesis, and is particularly interested in Second World War history and genocide studies. She also hold a licence to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.,

Andrew Lock

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

London Walking Tours

As the son of a former History teacher, Andy came in to conflict history at a young age, before graduating in Modern Languages and working in hospitality management. Andy’s experience covers a range of subjects and conflicts, including Waterloo, Napoleonic naval conflicts, the Normandy landings and tours in London and Copenhagen, but he specialises in the Great War battlefields of the Western Front. Lately, Andy has studied for a Masters in the British History of the First World War and since February 2019 has been licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Steve Roberts

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Living History

Steve spent 12 years as a regular soldier serving with the Royal Military Police in a variety of operational theatres. On leaving the Army, he joined the Metropolitan Police and served for a further 23 years. Following his retirement he established himself in a second career, as a Military Historian and researcher and in this capacity has worked on a number of TV productions including, “Who Do You Think You Are”, “Find My Past” and “The One Show”. He was also one of the panel experts on the “BBC WW1 Roadshow”
For the past twenty years Steve has been involved in archaeology on the Western Front and in this capacity both as historian and archaeologist has been involved in a number of television productions on the subject.
As a battlefield guide Steve has been leading groups of all types to the battlefields of WW1 and WW2 for over 25 years. He has been guiding for Anglia since 2003 and is licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Ashley Clark

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Faith under Fire

World War II

Hastings

Hundred Years War

Medieval Europe

Revolutionary France

Ashley retired from Kent Police in 2004 as Head of its Frontier Operations Department following some 30 years service much of which was spent working alongside French counterparts. He holds the Final Diploma of the Institute of Linguists and is retained as an examiner by the French Gendarmerie Nationale. Over many years he has developed a keen interest for the human aspects of the First World War. Ashley’s grandfather served on the Western Front along with his six brothers. Two were wounded and three killed in action.

Nathalie Harty

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

From Bournemouth in Dorset, Nathalie studied History at Southampton University before completing a PGCE in History at Oxford University. She has 16 years teaching experience, 13 of which have been as Head of the History Department as well as extensive experience of running residential school trips.

Having been inspired by Anglia guides since 2003, she is delighted to have the chance to join the Anglia team and start working with other schools.

Mick Biegel

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Hastings

Medieval Europe

After completing a Bachelor of Education degree, Mick joined the Regular Army in 1980. He served for ten years in The Green Howards. He joined the Territorial Army in 1991 and served as Chief Instructor and Commanding Officer of a brigade specialist training team. He was awarded the OBE in 2004 for his innovative work in support of soldiers, sailors and airmen at the Military Corrective Training Centre (The ‘Glasshouse’) in Colchester. Mick’s wife Alison is the Operations Director at Anglia Tours

Andrew Wallace

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Tudor Foreign Policy & Rebellion

Andy graduated in History from London University. After 15 years in ‘the City’, he trained to teach History. Andy taught for 17 years, becoming a Vice Principal of a large secondary, and completing a Masters in Educational Leadership. He has now returned to a deeper study of his passion – History, and wishes to share the exploration and experience with those who visit the battlefields and historic sites. In particular, he is keen to develop understanding of the First & Second World Wars and the Cold War. This keenness was ignited when Andy’s school went on one of Anglia’s first tours! Since February 2019 Andy has been licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Anita Chissel

Fields of Expertise:

Holocaust

Prague

New York

Anita is a Director of Anglia Tours and has been married to Alain Chissel, its Chairman for over forty years. A Swede, with no family connections with the Holocaust, she has had a lifelong and passionate interest in this most infamous period of history.
In 1998 she set up Anglia’s Holocaust tour to Auschwitz/Birkenau and since then has led hundreds of tours there herself as well as training more Anglia guides for this our most harrowing of tours. She has been instrumental in setting up tours taking groups to other Concentration Camp sites throughout Poland and the rest of Europe.

Ian Coyne

Ian led his first Anglia battlefield tour in 1998, since then he has guided in more than 400 groups on tours to the First World War battlefields, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands.

Having spent over 20 years in the Public Sector, in a number of different operational roles, Ian combines his guiding commitments with the role of Commercial Director, which means he is responsible for Anglia’s Sales and Marketing activity as well as overseeing the development of new tours and products. Since February 2019 Ian has been licensed to guide groups at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Sean Cripps

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

Cold War

Northern Ireland

Hastings

Medieval Europe

Prague

Sean graduated with a History degree from the University of London, taught history in secondary schools for 14 years and holds a Masters degree in Education. Combining a passion for history and travel, he has visited over seventy countries. A qualified Expedition Leader Sean has led nearly 500 educational visits – he is also licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.
Sean combines guiding on Great War, Weimar and Nazi Germany, Holocaust and Cold War tours with the role of Product Development and Safety Management System Coordinator with Anglia Tours.

Chris Cuff

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

War in Literature

Literature

Jane Austen

Hastings

Hundred Years War

Medieval Europe

Chris Cuff is an experienced teacher now dividing his time between teaching, writing and battlefield guiding. Chris has a long-standing interest in World War I and, in particular the poets and writers of that period. He has a deep knowledge of many of the places associated with them during the War.

Chris lectures to groups on many subjects relating to the Great War and leads many of Anglia’s War Literature tours, some specifically designed for English GCSE and A Level students, as well as for those with a more general interest in the subject.

Dr John Greenacre

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

The Home Front

Nazi Germany

Cold War

John spent 24 years in the British army as a helicopter pilot and staff officer during which time he developed a professional interest in military history. He was awarded a PhD in history by the University of Leeds and has authored and contributed to several books on Second World War subjects. John’s chief interest is in the development of warfare from the First World War, through the Second World War to the Cold War. Hence he is familiar with Twentieth Century battlefields across Europe; from Malta to Berlin and from the Somme to Monte Cassino.

Richard Knight

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Living History

Since 1984 Dickie has been involved with military history after listening to many WW1 stories from his grandfather who served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers from 1913 – 1919. In 1986 he joined the Royal Anglian Regiment TA. Dickie runs a military Living History group who portray the British Soldier of WW1 and WW2 participating with educational displays to the public and schools.
Dickie is a Specialist Military Extra for TV / Films and has participated in many productions, eg. ‘The Somme, from Defeat to Victory’, ‘Private Peaceful’, ‘Downton Abbey’, ‘The Sainsbury’s WW1 Christmas advert’ to name but a few.

Julian Humphries

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Julian joined Anglia Tours in 2015 after a long career as a Chartered Accountant retiring in 2013 as a Partner in a national practice. Julian is a graduate in Modern History from the University of Oxford and his passionate interest in Twentieth Century History stems from his student years.

In the Second World War his father served with the RAF and his uncle with the Welsh Guards but it was his grandfather speaking about his First World War service with the Devonshire Regiment that sparked Julian’s interest in that conflict. His grandfather returned to France and Belgium in 1974 and he was featured in a newspaper article which Julian has kept to this day.

Brendan Joyce

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Market Garden

Northern Ireland

During his service Brendan has completed operational tours in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Belize, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. Enlisting as a boy soldier in Perth Scotland in 1989, Brendan accepting a late entry commission in 2013 and continues to serve todate.
In his spare time he loves nothing better than studying the battlefields in his VW Camper Van. Brendan enjoys engaging with, and inspiring student groups through history; drawing lessons from the past and putting them into a modern context.

Mark Brennan

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Market Garden

Normandy Landings

Mark is a retired Army officer who flew helicopters for the Army Air Corps and saw service around the world. A survival expert and alpine mountaineer, he has a passion for the outdoors and still leads Army ski mountaineering expeditions. He also has a passion for history and in particular World War One. Although he is often found treading the battlefields of the Western Front, he has also gained experience touring the Gallipoli peninsula.

Closer to home, Mark has developed an interest in Irish History and events surrounding the ‘Easter Rising’ and the Irish Civil War. He particularly enjoys working and engaging with student groups.

Roger Lye

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Roger has had a lifelong interest in history and has a degree in History from Warwick University. There is a strong military tradition in his family. His grandfather served throughout the First World War, his father served in the 8th Army in the Second World War whilst his brother spent 30 years in the Royal Navy.
Roger has regularly visited the various battlefields of the Western Front over the past twenty years and now holds a licence to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial. Roger has a passion for the subject and a keen desire to inspire another generation.

Dave Morrison

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

Cold War

Hastings

Medieval Europe

Dave converted to teaching from engineering in 2000. He has a BA in History from Birkbeck (London) and an MSC in the History of Science Technology and Medicine. PGCE from the Institute of Education. He has just retired from teaching after 12 years as Head of History. Dave has guided for Anglia since April 2006 and has taken school groups to the First World War battlefields, Berlin, Auschwitz, Normandy and Hastings.
He is married to Anne and has twins at university.

Sam Noble

Fields of Expertise:

Imperial Germany

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

Cold War

Eighteenth Century Social History

Originally from Poole in Dorset, Sam has been a professional tour-guide in Berlin for four years while working towards his PhD in history at Humboldt University. His academic focus is eighteenth century British history, especially political caricature and Thomas Paine. Sam has delivered tours for a variety of age-groups and nationalities about a wide range of topics primarily concerning German history.

Andrew Pennington

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Second World War

The Home Front

Operation Dynamo

Cold War

Russia

Andrew retired from the RAF as a group captain in 2005 after 36 years service, over 30 of which were in the intelligence specialisation. He is a graduate of the RAF Staff College.
He has worked in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, the Gulf and Germany, including six years in Berlin and East Germany at the height of the Cold War. He has a particular interest in World War 1, driven by his two grandfathers who served then in the Gloucesters and the Yorkshire Regiment. Berlin in World War 2 and the Cold War remains Andrew’s main interest and he been licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial since February 2019.

Tim Saunders MBE MA

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Living History

Waterloo

Revolutionary France

English Civil War

Since retiring from the Army Tim has become a full time military historian. A lifelong enthusiast, over the years he has taken the opportunity to visit the battlefields across Europe and some far flung locations. This large portfolio is complemented by over twenty years’ experience of conducting military and civilian battlefield tours. Tim is author of fourteen books and guides, principally in the Battleground series, mainly on First and Second World Wars. From his early TV appearances, including ‘Time Team’ he is now Director of Production for Battlefield History TV and has worked on documentary films from Vikings to Korea.

Moray Treadwell

Fields of Expertise:

First World, War

Holocaust

Moray Treadwell is an actor who has appeared in Eastenders, Wuthering Heights, 2.4 Children, Pirates of the Caribbean II and Downton Abbey, amongst others.

In recent years he has toured as a member of the cast of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, worked with the Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, and most recently appeared as Capulet in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. As a young man he was a member of the National Youth Theatre and went on to train at the Guildford School of Acting where he graduated with the ‘Actor’s Cup’.

His interest in the battlefields stems from his own family experiences as ‘warriors for the working day’ in both world wars. His acting skills bring alive the battlefields for students, especially during the Christmas Truce tours, when he portrays Unterofficer Jozef Wenzl. Moray also guides Anglia’s Holocaust tours to Poland.

Ed Church

As a co-founder of Anglia, Ed has worked for the company as a guide and Tour Leader for over 15 years.

A keen amateur historian, he has long held an interest in military history and in particular the equipment and dress of WWI. Ed is able to impart his knowledge to young people and to help students understand how, when and why events happened. Since February 2019 Ed has been licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Frank Toogood

For nearly 3 decades Frank has had a successful career within the creative industry as a designer – he created Anglia’s ‘Student Great War Aide-Memoire’, which has been a great success.

He also served 10 years in the 70th (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, part of 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment (V), and had the distinction of having been the youngest qualified tradesman in the regiment at the age on 18.

Frank has been a guiding since 2006 and is a badged member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides. In 2011, Frank received the Richard Holmes’ Award for services to the Guild and in 2019 he was licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Robert Webb

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Normandy Landings

Holocaust

Cold War

Hastings

Medieval Europe

Prague

World War II

Rob gained a Masters degree from the University of East Anglia. He taught history to ‘A’ level in England and New Zealand. Currently works as a part time post graduate tutor for Buckingham University. He is fascinated by modern European history and the history of Germany in particular. He is licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial and his interest in the Great War was sparked by a visit to Ypres on Armistice Day 1984.
Rob enjoys helping young people to engage with and gain a deeper understanding of some of the conflicts that have torn Europe apart.

Richard Burgess

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Faith under Fire

Fall of France

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

Cold War

Richard serves as a Detective Sergeant with Essex Police. He has worked covertly on a national and international level within the intelligence community and on covert serious and organised crime investigation and disruption. He is a nationally accredited source handler and former anti and counter surveillance operative. Currently undertaking the discernment process for ordination as a Church of England Priest he is qualified in Christian Studies through Chelmsford Cathedral.

He particularly enjoys ethics and ‘faith’ based tours looking at moral and theological issues. Holocaust tours are delivered from a theological perspective, to create a firm understanding of ‘The Jewish Question’

Dr Kate Vigurs

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

Cold War

Living History

Dr Kate Vigurs joined Anglia tours early in 2014 and is a professional freelance historian who specialises in 20th century conflict (especially resistance activity), the Holocaust and the cold war.
Kate is working on a wide variety of WW1 centenary projects including local and national exhibitions and for the BBC. She is currently writing a book for Yale University Press about the 39 women of the Special Operations Executive French section.
Kate runs the historical interpretation company ‘History’s Maid’ producing and performing scripts for English Heritage and Imperial War Museums. She also regularly appears on national news and radio on a wide variety of topics.
.

Simon Gregor

After graduating from the University of Cambridge, Simon worked for 15 years as a senior civil servant, latterly as a government communications director.

In 2011, he left to pursue his love of history and set up his own business as a tour guide and freelance photographer. Simon is currently studying for a PhD in WW1 history and guides regularly on the battlefields of France and Belgium as well as offering private tuition in history and photography.

Martin Featherstone

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Operation Dynamo

Cold War

Hastings

Medieval Europe

Martin Featherstone joined the Infantry in 1965, after serving 10 years in the ranks, which included several tours of Northern Ireland and a stint as a Sergeant instructor at The Jungle Warfare School, he was commissioned at Sandhurst. Further service as an officer included Northern Ireland, The Falklands, several attachments to African Armies and a tour as a tactics instructor at The Infantry Battle School in Brecon. A total of 28 years service!

He has two married daughters, one of whom served 16 years as an officer in the British Army. He is an experienced a solo Adventure Traveller who was made a Fellow Of The Royal Geographical Society for leading several Amazon Expeditions. Since February 2019 Martin has been licensed to guide at the Sachsenhausen Memorial.

David Winn

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Normandy Landings

David was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1972 and has seen service in Northern Ireland, Kenya, Cyprus, Germany, Norway and the Dhofar Region of Oman. He is currently employed as the Director of Training for the Institute of Groundsmanship. He is married with two children.

He has had a long interest in military history and has been a battlefield guide since 1996. His particular area of expertise is the D-Day Landings in Normandy.

Andrew Duff

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Market Garden

The Normandy Landings

Medieval Europe

Hastings

Hundred Years War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Revolutionary France

Waterloo

Andrew Duff was commissioned into the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1967. On leaving the regular army he joined the TA and served as a staff officer with 5th Airborne, 24th Air Mobile and 16th Air Assault Brigades before retiring in 2002. He has always had a keen interest in military history and in particular the part played by the “Poor Bloody Infantry”.

Andy White

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Andy White served in the Intelligence Branch of the Royal Air Force from 1985 to 2011, reaching the rank of Wing Commander. During that time, he saw operational service in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and Iraq, working closely with UK and Allied air and ground forces. He also worked with a variety of intelligence and special forces agencies, both national and international, at home and abroad. Andy has been a battlefield guide since 2001, with experience in guiding school, adult, and military groups. His expertise areas are Normandy, Arnhem, the First World War and Berlin where he holds a licence to guide at Sachsenhausen Memorial.

Rick Jones

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

Holocaust

Rick retired from the army in 2003 after 24 years of service with the Royal Horse Artillery, serving in Germany, Bosnia, Canada and the UK. Recently returned from Afghanistan and the Middle East where he has been working as a civilian contractor for ISAF/NATO in Kandahar and Bastion airbases. His interest in military history and walking battlefields stems from being given a group of WW1 medals as a young child and visiting the areas where they were won. He currently resides with his wife Chrissie in the sleepy village of Shipton Bellinger on the edge of the Salisbury plain. Since February 2019 Rick has been licensed to guide at Sachsenhausen Memorial.

David Barron

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

David Barron comes from a family of soldiers of various types and abilities, who have served the Crown, with the exception of Cromwell, William of Orange and the early Hanoverian Kings, since the 17th century. He was commissioned into the Gordon Highlanders in 1979 and served in the army for 35 years, retiring as a Lt Colonel. He has a life long interest in history – as a 5 year old he expressed the opinion that the Second World War was won by Winston Churchill and his father – and is licensed to guide at Sachsenhausen Memorial. His army career fostered a passion for military and regimental history and he hopes that he is able to pass this enthusiasm on to those he guides. Away from the battlefields he is settling in to civilian life and is attempting to do things that he enjoys.

Gareth Davies

Gareth spent 28 years in the British Army as a tank commander, staff officer, and instructor. He taught at Sandhurst and the Staff College. He has a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from KCL.

Gareth is a keen student of twentieth century warfare and he regularly speaks to groups and leads tours covering many aspects of the First and Second World Wars. His interests include command, learning, and technology; the Great War in France & Flanders, Italy and Palestine; and Second World War combined arms actions. His first book, on tanks in 1917, will be published in 2018.

Nick Keyes

Fields of Expertise:

Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome

First World War

Second World War

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

Cold War

Nick read English at St John’s College, Oxford, was commissioned into the Queen’s Regiment, served 16 years in the Regular Army and 3 years in the Reserve in various places including Germany, Belize, Gibraltar, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, and attended the Spanish Army Staff College. He then gained a PGCE, taught English and Classics for 20 years and was until recently Head of Classics at Exeter School. He comes from 5 generations of soldiers, has been fascinated by military history since touring Normandy as a boy, and what he now enjoys most is sharing this interest with newcomers to the battlefields.

John Coppen

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Cold War

John is a retired Police Officer with more than 40 years experience of visiting, studying and walking the Western Front battlefields. A frequent visitor to Germany, John is licensed to guide at Sachsenhausen Memorial. He also holds current qualifications in both Adult teaching and Health and Safety.

Ben Farrell

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Ben is a graduate of Chichester University where he gained his teaching certificate. He has worked as a PE teacher and a Head of Year in a secondary school in Surrey for the past 20 years. His interest in the history of the First World War was ignited when he went on a school trip with Anglia Tours to Ypres and the Somme.
Ben has vast experience of running residential school trips both at home and abroad, including his favourite annual winter sports trip to the Alps.

James Stythe

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Normandy Landings

James Stythe recently retired from the Regular Army as a Colonel, (Army Legal Service). Having served as a Subaltern in the Gurkhas in Hong Kong and Brunei he became a solicitor in 1981, served as a TA RMP Company Commander, and as a Legal Officer in operational appointments including Northern Ireland, Macedonia, Kosovo and Kabul.
His uncle served in the RRA in WW1, his father spent 5 years as a PoW in WW2 and his mother was a WAAF officer. This background, combined with his own military service, has inspired James’ enthusiasm for military history and guiding in his retirement.

Tim Lynch

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Home Front

Berlin

Tim joined the army at the age of 16 and served with the Army Air Corps in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland, Berlin and Kenya. After leaving the forces, he began working in the field of social work and Probation and has been active in developing support services for military veterans returning to civilian life.

Tim’s interest in military history has led to frequent visits to battlefields in the US, Europe and South East Asia. He is author of a number of books on the military and social history of the World Wars and is involved in a variety of community projects commemorating aspects of the Great War.

Lorraine Merricks

Fields of Expertise:

Lorraine has been a teacher for 16 years. She has been a Head of Year as well as Head of History and Government and Politics. She is an Advanced Skills Teacher and has a range of teaching experience as well as vast experience of running trips.

She has studied for a Masters in Educational Assessment and is now looking forward to sharing her enthusiasm for learning and for History by deepening her understanding with those who wish to visit the battlefields and other historic sites.

Alex Hetherington

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Holocaust

Alex is a professional guide in London and the South of England. He has over 30 years experience as an educator in schools, museums and on tour having worked in the state and independent sectors of secondary education in Britain and Australia.

Alex spent ten years working for the Holocaust Educational Trust guiding on their Lessons from Auschwitz Programme and has worked with the National Army Museum and the museum of the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Gary Cushing

Gary has been interested in Modern History, in particular the conflicts in the 20th century, since school and has been a regular visitor to the battlefields of Europe since his days in the Army.

Having served with 2 Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Beirut, Eastern Africa, Germany and the USA, Gary subsequently took on a Civil Service post specialising in Firearms, surveillance and Counter Terrorism. He joined the Anglia team at the start of 2018.

Mark Banning

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Mark has been a Battlefield Guide for over ten years, and particularly enjoys being involved in personal research, to make a soldier’s story relevant in the modern age. His background is from the hospitality industry, but he became a self-employed guide as a means to further his interest in the battlefields of the Western Front, and to gain a greater understanding of the men who fought in the conflict. Mark believes strongly that education is essential to preserve the memories of a remarkable generation, two of whom were his grandfathers, both who served in the Ypres Salient. Mark lives with his partner in Llangollen, North Wales.

Mark Allen

Fields of Expertise:

Mark’s interest in military history was forged at an early age with tales told by his Grandfather, who had served as an older soldier in the Western Desert during the Second World War. This developed over the years into a passion for learning about the history of modern conflict.

Service both in UK and Bermuda police services, alongside time with the Royal Military Police as a reservist, was followed by 28 years as long-haul cabin crew with British Airways. This gave him the opportunity to visit many far-flung battlefields, museums and sites of military interest from Asia to Africa, and from the Middle East to the Americas, expanding his knowledge of not only the two world wars but of 20th century conflict in general.

Having taken early retirement, Mark currently focuses on the First World War and looks forward to sharing his passion about its history and related stories with students. He has a particular interest in the experiences and treatment of indigenous and first nation soldiers of both British Dominions and the Empire; the history of the Royal Sussex Regiment; and memorialisation following the Great War.

Dave Machin

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

War in Literature

After a long career as a classroom English teacher, Dave relishes the chance to work with young people in a different environment, sharing his enthusiasm for learning about the human experience of World War 1. Accompanying battlefield tours as a teacher ignited his interest and he particularly enjoys linking sites visited to a school’s home area while researching relevant stories about unheralded individuals. Dave has taught war literature and directed plays about warfare and its effect; he also led school projects and tours to Ghana several times, Namibia and South Africa as well as the battlefields. Dave also works as a session worker for the South Kent Youth Justice team.

Rob Yuill

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

Living History

Waterloo Campaign

Peninsular War

Napoleonic & French Revolutionary Wars

Seven Years War & Jacobite Wars

Rob , spent 17 years in the Army as an Infantry Officer, staff officer and instructor. Retired, he is now an MOD Civil Servant, part time military historian and self confessed military history ‘nut’ with a passion for telling people history. Prior to joining the Army, Rob trained as a museum curator working in the Tullie House Museum, Durham Light Infantry Museum and National Army Museum. Following military service Rob returned to museums, becoming curator of the newly formed Rifles Museum in Winchester then subsequently Director of Heritage & Commemorations for The Rifles, including overseeing a network of 12 museums relating to the Regiment’s history. Rob regularly visits battlefields and historic sites across the UK, Europe and further afield; to develop his knowledge and understanding of history. Rob is also a historical re-enactor and living history interpreter of over 30 years experience; specialising in the Napoleonic Wars, Great War and Second World War. Woking as a ‘living history’ historian has given him a great feel for events, artefacts and characters from the past and in bringing history to life. Rob also has access to a broad range of artefacts; real and reproduction, to enhance learning and historical understanding. Rob has advised for film and Television productions and appeared in documentaries for BBC History, Yesterday and History Channel as a historical commentator. He has also co-authored a two part history of The Light Division in the Peninsula War.

Robert Shaw

Fields of Expertise:

American Civil War

First World War

Second World War

The Cold War

Robert is a battlefield tour guide and is currently writing a C-IED manual for the UN along with military history books on the SAS, SOE and the Cold War. He retired from the British Army where he worked in the fields of IEDD and intelligence, working for UKSF and DIS. He subsequently managed training for the UN and NATO in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Nigeria and Somalia. His battlefield tour expertise and experience includes the American Civil War, WW1, WW2 and the Cold War in UK, USA, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sicily, Crete, the Baltic States, Ukraine, Poland and the Balkans. Robert has a Masters degree in Global Security from Cranfield University and lectures at UCL on intelligence and defence matters and counter proliferation.

John Carey

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

John was born in Aldershot into a military family his father being a serving soldier in the Parachute Regiment. He spent his childhood years living in various garrison towns in the UK and Germany including Berlin. At the age of ten, John returned to the Midlands until he was seventeen and followed the family tradition of joining the army. John served with the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment from 1984 until 1989 and then joined West Midlands Police.

Whilst serving as a police officer he has fulfilled numerous uniformed operational roles and plainclothes duties until 2016 when he retired.

Since 2001 he has been involved in the organisation and research for numerous trips and pilgrimages to commemorate the police officers and men of the Midlands killed in conflicts since the beginning of the twentieth century.

John has a passion for telling the story of the ordinary everyday person who is caught up in some of the most dramatic events in history and inspiring young people to engage in their own families and communities history.

Francis Mullan

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Second World War

London Walking Tours

With 30 years service as a Metropolitan Police Officer, Francis is a qualified ‘City of London’ Tour Guide and teacher of Adult Education. As an amateur historian based in the East of London, Francis delivers lectures in his local community and works as a volunteer for several local and national charities. With his 20 years of visiting Battlefields, and experience and knowledge of Policing and guiding in London, Francis is keen to bring his enthusiasm of these aspects of our History to new generations of students.

Chris Pretty

Fields of Expertise:

Chris joined the Royal Marines in 1978 and served with 40 and 42 Commando, and with Royal Marines Poole. He saw service in Northern Ireland and as a Section 2ic in the Falklands War in 1982 and has front line experience of both conflicts. He is currently employed as a Lecturer delivering and leading a Degree Programme for the UEA. He is married to Dawn and they have four grown up children. He has a Masters degree specialising in Military History alongside a Teaching degree.

He has always been interested in military history and has been involved with several military history books as both a contributor and editor. His particular area of interest is the ‘man on the ground’.

Carol Henderson

Fields of Expertise:

Carol is originally from London but has lived in York for most of her life. She worked for many years as a lighting and sound electrician in professional theatre. She subsequently worked for nine years at HLTA level in an infant school.

Carol has had a lifelong fascination with the Great War, thanks to the stories passed down by the women of her family. She has a Masters Degree in the History of Britain in the First World War and is currently completing a PhD, in which she is studying the Great War manpower problems through the lens of the military service tribunals. Inspired by the work of Anglia Tours, Carol is very keen to encourage a new generation of enquiring minds to become enthused in a subject that has always been of great significance to her.

John Raynor

Fields of Expertise:

First World War

Nazi Germany

Holocaust

John has a Master of Philosophy Degree and has taught History and more recently Politics over a 38 year period. He has been a Head of History, Head of Sixth Form and an Advanced Skills Teacher. He has taught GCSE Modern World History, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust to A level. He undertook his first tour of the battlefields of the First World War in 1987 and has organised and run trips virtually every year since then including to Berlin and Auschwitz. Since he retired from teaching in 2018 he has pursued his hobby of touring battlefield and historic sites with Anglia Tours to encourage the next generation to understand and appreciate the personal aspect of warfare and the lives of those who lived through the years of 1914 onwards.

Henry Eagan

Fields of Expertise:

Henry spent thirty-five years in the Army serving in Germany, including Berlin (British Sector), Northern Ireland, Oman, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also on the staff of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on two separate occasions. He became an honorary Welshman when he commanded a Territorial Army battalion in south Wales.

Both of his grandfathers were soldiers in WW1 and only recently did he discover that one of them had been attached to a forebear regiment and wounded at the Somme before joining the Royal Flying Corps. The catalyst for further research, these stories and many more need to be told to keep alive the memory of that extraordinary generation who gave so much. Anglia Tours provide an excellent medium for doing precisely that!

Geoff Reason

Fields of Expertise:

Geoff has made a career of helping young students and adults. Latterly, he spent 7 years as an Anglia client, accompanying his school on WW1 battlefield tours before finally giving in and joining the team. He has a long history of research into the First World War for both his own and friends’ families. Geoff has a passion for all aspects of history and for encouraging young people to explore and enjoy their own experiences and to learn the lessons from the past.

Alison Biegel

Head of Anglia

Alison was so inspired by attending one of the very first Anglia tours that she insisted on joining the company in September 2000. As the first employee she has been instrumental in helping Anglia grow from its modest beginnings to becoming a leader in guided history tours for schools. Her military service and history degree make this her ideal job and she still retains specific responsibility for the military and adult groups. She remains a passionate advocate of outstanding customer service and for tours that both educate and entertain those that travel with us.

Ian Coyne

Head of Product

Ian began working as a tour guide Anglia Tours in 1998 before joining the company on a full time basis in 2011 to take on responsibility for the company’s marketing and product development. In May 2019 Ian was appointed Head of Product for Next Generation Travel a position which allows him to further develop the Group’s product offerings across the board and to build on the relationships he has established with UK exam boards.

Kirsty Nash

General Manager

Kirsty joined Anglia Tours in March 2018, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge gained within the financial sector. With strong relationship and operational management experience, her passion for customer service will remain paramount whilst she broadens her historical knowledge. Kirsty is enthusiastic, dedicated and loyal, and is very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Sean Cripps

Health & Safety, Product Executive

Sean graduated with a History degree from the University of London, taught history in secondary schools for 14 years and holds a Master’s degree in Education. Combining a passion for history and travel, he has visited over seventy countries, is a qualified Expedition Leader and has led over 500 educational visits including 300 tours for Anglia.

Sean joined Anglia’s guide team in 2003, guiding on Great War, Weimar and Nazi Germany, Holocaust and Cold War tours, before joining the office team in 2005 with the role of Product Development and Safety Management System Coordinator.

In May 2019 Sean was appointed to the role of Health & Safety Officer / Product Executive, taking on a wider remit of safety management and product development across the NGT Group.

Diane Coyne

Senior Tour Coordinator

Diane graduated with a degree in French from the University of Kent. Having completed her PGCE at Cambridge University, she taught Modern Languages in secondary schools, before moving to the Home Office. Diane joined Anglia as a Tour Coordinator in 2002 since which time she has been responsible for organising educational tours for schools to a host of locations across Europe. Her commitment to high-quality customer service mean she will explore every option to ensure your tour is the complete experience you would want it to be. Outside the office she has been the chair of her local primary school PTA and a DofE Coordinator.

Judith Lawrence

Tour Coordinator

Judith joined Anglia in 2007 and has spent the past 10 years as a Tour Coordinator responsible for new school groups and new tours for existing schools. Her strong administration skills make her the ideal person to handle any tour enquiry. As the company has grown so as her repertoire, in fact it was Judith who organised our first school tour to Israel which, as you will see from the feedback elsewhere on the website, was a huge success. She has also organised ground-breaking tours to the USA and Ireland. Her motto ‘Organisation is my middle name’.

Lorna Horne

Tour Coordinator

Lorna joined the team in June 2015. She comes to us from an Account Management and Customer Service background, with experience in many different industries including travel, having worked for 3 ½ years as cabin crew. She has also spent a lot of time organising charity and weekend events across the UK for both small and large groups. Lorna is hard working and eager to work closely with your school to ensure your students have the best possible educational and fun experience.

Sheralyn Black

Tour Coordinator

Sheralyn joined us in March 2014 from one the UK’s leading event management and business travel agencies where she was responsible for handling requests from a range of corporate clients. Energetic, self motivated and meticulous, Sheralyn relishes the challenge of her new role, the chance to develop her historical knowledge and the opportunity to build strong working relationships with our schools and Military customers.

Julia Clarke

Senior Tour Coordinator

Julia has worked in the travel industry specialising in Group Travel for 27 years having worked for various Tour Operators both in the UK and Overseas, including the last 6 years in the School Travel Sector. Being a mother herself she understands the importance in making sure students have an enjoyable time on tour. Julia believes in offering a high level of customer service and making the school tour process as straightforward as possible for the teachers involved.

Marie Trigg

Tour Coordinator

Marie has recently joined our team of Tour Coordinators bringing with her 10 years’ experience in the travel and tourism industry. She has a great attention to detail and is very enthusiastic about what she does. Quality Customer Service is always top of her list, Marie is really looking forward to increasing her historical knowledge within the company. She does also make a mean cup of tea.

Jessica Platt

Sales Tour Coordinator

Jess joined the Anglia Sales team in August 2018, after spending 3 years working in the business travel industry based in London. Jess has had a real passion for History since school this, coupled with her natural enthusiasm, means she is really looking forward to being an integral part of the Anglia Team.

Sharon Willett

Admin Assistant

Sharon joined Anglia as an Admin Assistant in October 2014 bringing with her over 30 years of admin experience and customer service. With lots of enthusiasm she is now a keen Tour Coordinator and enjoys proof reading and has an eye for detail. Sharon enjoys history and is very much looking forward to her new role.

Jessica Holmes

Commercial Executive

Jess’ role has evolved significantly since she joined the Anglia team as an Admin Assistant in June 2012. Her main focus now is analysing our overall business performance and identifying trends as they develop. She is also responsible for ensuring our management team has the data it needs to ensure Anglia continues to provide the high-quality service which schools have come to expect from us.

Kate Johnson

Reservations Team Leader

Kate has worked in the travel industry for over 30 years, the last 7 years in the Group Travel sector. During that time she has developed excellent relationships with a whole host of suppliers including airlines, coach and cross channel transport providers. Her overriding priority is to provide our customers with safe, high quality transport services whichever country you are visiting.

Beki Sharpe

Accommodation Co-ordinator

Beki joined the Anglia team as an Admin Assistant in November 2012 using the skills and experience she developed from her time in the travel industry to great effect. In September 2014 she took on the role of Bookings Coordinator and with it responsibility for sourcing all our accommodation needs. Beki works closely with each hostel and hotel that we use so as to ensure these meet the high standard of safety and comfort that all our customers should expect.

Vicky Johnson

Reservations Admin Assistant

When Vicky joined Anglia as an Admin Assistant in May 2014 she brought with her a wealth of customer service experience gained from her time spent working largely within the Insurance industry. As you would expect, given her background, Vicky really appreciates the importance of ensuring that the details, for even the finest points of a tour, are spot on and is keen to help our team of Tour Coordinators achieve this.

Vicky has recently changed her role and now has responsibility for making all the necessary museum and attraction bookings for our tours. So she not only sources new suppliers but looks to forge excellent working relationships with all our business partners.

Helen Cripps

Tour Administrator

Helen joined us as an Admin Assistant in October 2013. A graduate of Southampton University and a trained Audiologist, she has a real interest in both history and travel. Helen provides admin support for military and adult tours, as well as some school tours, and really enjoys the variety that this offers. She is also the younger sister of Sean, our SMS Coordinator and Product Development Officer.

Nicola Collins

Admin Assistant

Nicola joined our growing team of Admin Assistants in September 2014 having spent much of the past 10 years working as the PA to a team of Senior Partners in a busy firm of Accountants. The experience she gained from this role and her background in both administration and publishing, mean Nicola is ideally qualified to provide our Tour Coordinators with the support they need to ensure all aspects of a tour runs smoothly.

Melissa Punter

Office Administrator

Mel has honed her administrative and customer service skills from working, primarily, in the retail and manufacturing industries. Highly self motivated, organised and enthusiastic she has a real eye for detail. Having joined Anglia in October 2016, Mel is really looking forward to being part of the team and supporting Tour Coordinators in delivering tours for our customers whilst at the same time developing her historical knowledge.

Aimee Oates

Reservations Admin Assistant

Aimee is the newest addition to the Anglia Reservations team. Her main role is to book the meals for our tours and to build on the excellent relationships we have with our suppliers so they can continue to provide the high level of service our customers have come to expect. Aimee’s background is in administration and she brings to the company her excellent organisational skills, a very methodical approach and a keen eye for detail. She also makes a great cup of tea!

Deanna Price

Tour Administrator

Deanna joined our Operations Team as a Tour Administrator in January 2019. She comes to us with an extensive background in customer service having worked in multiple sectors including martial arts and veterinary. Deanna strives to give the best service she can and always trying to make people smile with her bubbly personality. She is has a great attention to detail and she is very motivated and excited with her new opportunity in the company.

Newsletter Signup

Keep up-to-date with tour news by subscribing to our newsletter

We’d like to keep you informed by email about our future offers, products and useful information in educational travel. Please tick this box to let us know that you are happy for us to do this. We may also pass your information on to other companies in our travel group, FHT and WST.
You may choose to unsubscribe at any time by contacting us directly on [email protected] or selecting unsubscribe in our marketing material.